Frailty score

I was intrigued by this and looked up the definition.

The five frailty criteria are weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, slowness and weakness. The sum score of these five criteria classifies people into one of three frailty stages (or groups): not frail (score 0), pre-frail (score 1–2) and frail (score 3–5)

Have I misunderstood this. If you scored 0.361, Whiff, surely you are between not frail and pre-frail?
I do not see myself as frail, but as someone, who is disabled and slow moving, I do meet some of the criteria.

Maybe because of your health issues it has given a moderate frailty score, it is not a bad thing, it just alerts other agencies, hospitals etc that you may have problems with certain things.

Everyone over 65 that visits a GP has one.

I also read it as within the ‘not frail’ band Whiff. Your score of 0.361 is below 1

Here is the Rockwood scale used by the NHS. From what I have seen from your other posts about HPX and you saying you have had a recent heart incident, I would say between 3 and 4 sounds about right.

I would rather health professionals were aware of any difficulties, than complain about a frailty factor. I have absolutely no objection to that being on my notes.
However, I would like to see what it is!

Of course, it would be helpful if the Frailty Score bands, as outlined above by Marydoll, were also made explicit on the NHS App, so that we know what the numbers actually mean.

Marydoll

I was intrigued by this and looked up the definition.

The five frailty criteria are weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, slowness and weakness. The sum score of these five criteria classifies people into one of three frailty stages (or groups): not frail (score 0), pre-frail (score 1–2) and frail (score 3–5)

Have I misunderstood this. If you scored 0.361, Whiff, surely you are between not frail and pre-frail?
I do not see myself as frail, but as someone, who is disabled and slow moving, I do meet some of the criteria.

Whiff, based on Marydoll's comments I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

In fact, I find it rather reassuring that these scoring protocols are in place to enable and alert other clinical professionals as and when necessary.

It certainly looks like you are very low in the scale.

Surely, health professionals should be looking at the whole picture, not conditions in isolation?
I am disabled, due to RA, but that condition has impacted on my heart health and I have had a number of episodes, which meant hospital admissions.
Being disabled means that I am vulnerable. I am not happy with that, but not much I can do to change things.

I suspect the e Frailty Index has been used. This is calculated automatically from all the codes your GP has about you. 36 conditions and symptoms are considered. A score of 0.361 means that you have just over a third of the conditions.
This diagram shows what the conditions/symptoms are.

Being "frail" (or whatever) just flags you up to the GP. If you read the guidance, it means they should have you in for a face-to-face check and provide any treatment thought necessary. The score is just a guide.

Oh dear Growstuff, according to that, I am in deep trouble. I have seven of those conditions!

Marydoll

Oh dear Growstuff, according to that, I am in deep trouble. I have seven of those conditions!

No, that's not too bad. Calculate 7/36, which gives you a score of 0.194, which means you're mildly frail. I have six of the conditions, which means my score is 0.166, which means I'm mildly frail too.

The idea of a 'frailty score' interests me a great deal as I want to adopt or foster a dog, and responsible dog rescues will not release a dog unless it can be properly cared for. I know certain dogs would be safe and happy with me however I do wonder what the rescue would think of me when they see me looking 'frail' as I my mirror tells me I do.

I can therefor sympathise with the OP, as to label a person ''Frail' puts them at a social disadvantage.

growstuff

Marydoll

Oh dear Growstuff, according to that, I am in deep trouble. I have seven of those conditions!

No, that's not too bad. Calculate 7/36, which gives you a score of 0.194, which means you're mildly frail. I have six of the conditions, which means my score is 0.166, which means I'm mildly frail too.

Thank you! I am quite happy with that!

Thanks for explaining it. I did miss one, so 8/36 is 0.22?

Are these tables based on older women? Just asking as many generalisations are made about women’s health based on data from men.

ayse

Are these tables based on older women? Just asking as many generalisations are made about women’s health based on data from men.

I've listed the conditions/symptoms above.

Thank you all for explaining the meaning to me. But at no time did she say she was assessing me apart from taking my blood . Otherwise I would have asked questions why and for what purpose and would have refused to be assessed by her as she has no idea about my disability.

My neurologist has never had a patient with my condition so he has had to learn about it . And thanks to the rare disease society put in touch with a Facebook group who have the same condition as me but not everyone has the the same gene mutation I have . It's world wide and their are 1,084 of us. One of the group asked me if my neurologist would see her so gave her his details and he did . So he has 2 of us but her gene mutation is different to mine. Everything I learnt about my disability I pass on to my neurologist. He's registrar made a video of me in November doing tasks to use as a teaching aid for colleagues and medical students.

I do have a small hole in the side of my heart which I was born with and diagnosed with PAF over 2020/2021 when I had a MRI on my heart and it's safer to leave alone as I don't get chest pains .

My recent stay in hospital is because they thought I had a heart attack but after an angiography it was decided I had a TIA and being referred to a stroke neurologist. But the nurse didn't know that as it wasn't on my records because the practice hadn't received the letter from my cardiologist. My appointment was for 8.50 but had the blood test done at 8.40 and the post hadn't arrived. I had my copy of my cardiologist letter come today . So they would have had these today as well.

The photo of the frainlty scale is hard to read. Here is a link so you can enlarge the script: bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-021-02222-w/figures/1

Should say I had a face to face appointment with my GP on the 29th that's why I had the blood test. But no where on my doctors notes which are on my medical record did it mention a frailty index score .

ihub.scot/media/6106/frailty-and-the-electronic-frailty-index.pdf

Additional information

Whiff It's not to do with your disability, but the computer will have worked out your score from a range of conditions and symptoms which the GP knows about. Everybody over 65 has a score. The phlebotomist didn't have anything to do with calculating it. It's probably just coincidence that it's been calculated now or it could be because the GP has received information about your TIA, which has pushed up your frailty score. I don't know what other conditions and symptoms you have. What it does mean is that your GP should be giving you a bit more attention, which is a good thing.

I am glad I came across this thread, it is very interesting.

Whiff, how do you know for certain that it was the phlebotomist, who gave you the score and not one of your clinicians?

Whiff

Should say I had a face to face appointment with my GP on the 29th that's why I had the blood test. But no where on my doctors notes which are on my medical record did it mention a frailty index score .

Everyone over 65 has one hidden away somewhere. Unless it's a cause for concern, it won't be flagged.

Crossed posts Growstuff!

Whiff, have I remembered correctly that you had a battle to receive DLA and eventually won your case?
Fulfilling the criteria for that means that you must need support.